Time to slow down....

I recently passed my 4 year runaversary. That's 4 years since I started running outside - a terrified 3k around Mote Park at 6.30am so no one would see me! Around 2 stone heavier than I am now but having lost 4 stone since I'd started dieting. What a running journey it's been. I've lost count of the half marathons I've run but I know I'm on 7 marathons and will reach 10 by the end of the year. No question I love to run! It keeps me sane. Keeps me thinner and has led me to people who are now some of my best friends and certainly my favourite people to run with!


Over the past 4 years I've also gathered some personal bests I'm quite proud of. You may not think I'm all that speedy but I've managed to hit some pretty good times. It's rare I've gone out to get a PB - but it has felt good when they've come - thing with trying to beat a time is you really have to start quick. You can't decide part way through (although once on a race Stefhan did manage this!!) as usually by then it's too late. Certainly my 5k parkrun PB I wanted. So too my half marathon - I was determined to come under 2 hours! And Brighton Marathon - well that was all about burying demons. Most of my PBs came when I was training for said marathon. Oh and nearly all are flat flat routes! So here they are - all my personal bests:

5k - 26:00 Maidstone parkrun
5 miles - 44:55 Kent Christmas Cracker
10k - 54:58 Abington
1/2 Marathon - 1:58:36 Headcorn
Marathon - 4:48:24 Brighton

Why am I sharing this now? Well it seems ages since I came close to a PB. All of those times are over a year old. Lately I just don't have it in me to bust a gut for a PB. But actually that's okay. I'm not exactly built for speed. Heck I'm not sure I'm built for running. They were fun to get but my focus and goal has changed. I've discovered that if i slow down I can keep going. For marathons my magic 7m/km keeps me comfortable with room to change if I need to. In London with Danny we ran at 8m/km due to injury and actually that was great too. At the end I felt I could have run on.

So I don't want to chase times any more. What I want is to chase distance. To see just what this body can do and have a new challenge. An ultra challenge. Why not - my favourite run of all time is still my birthday 28 miles last year. This means if I never beat those times again. It's okay. After all I haven't run under 30 minutes at parkrun since, well since I can't remember. Instead I'm going to continue to slow down, take it easy, carry on doing what I do best and see just how far it takes me....

I do it my way!

Sometimes it's easy to forget I haven't really been running very long - it will be 3 years this summer. In that time I'm on to what is only my 4th formal training plan (stuck to the fridge) but what makes this one so different is I've been determined to learn from past mistakes. So far, so good it seems with Brighton marathon looming just 2 months away. I've been clear all along what my goal is for Brighton this year - get round enjoying every step. No time pressure. No going to beat last years time. No seeing how I feel on the day. This will be the last time I run Brighton marathon and I want to bury the demons I found in myself last year. I want to finish running and smiling.

Which means back to those lessons from last year:

1. Don't over train

2. Rest is important 

3. Run for fun 

The impact of these lessons has made a huge difference to my training and running since this plan started in earnest this year. Lesson one - it's all about thinking carefully how far I need to run to be marathon ready and the pace I'm running at. With back to back marathons last year I thought it important to run two 20 mile races. Plus I had no idea what running 26.2 would be like. This year I'm lucky. I know what it's like and I know I've managed it twice. So now it's about making the training count. Building up to one 20 mile long run and giving myself a decent taper so I'm fit but not tired. The Selfie Sundays are a fabulous motivator and last year training and running together is what got me to the start line at Brighton. But it's also what made me struggle to the finish. Pace is everything in marathon running and training. It doesn't matter what you read they all say the same thing - do your long runs 10% (or more) off planned race pace. If you analyse most of my LSRs last year they were all on or faster than my actual race pace on the day. Significantly so - which means none of them were slower!

Add to that lesson two and I look back and think I was tired at Brighton. Yes there were other things I should and could have done differently. But I didn't give myself a good start. So now I'm taking the time to cut back on long runs. Rest during the week. Use a recovery run as a recovery run. Maximise other training sessions such as hills. Oh and book in regular sports massages. I've pretty much given up on my foam roller (she is like a woman scorned) and don't tell anyone but I've never really been one for stretching. I've tried to stick to it and used apps recommended but ultimately. I run. I stretch a little. But I read if in the end stretching doesn't work for you don't worry, as there is equal evidence that says it does you harm or good!
 

Then there are the Seflies - the most amazing, wonderful group of runners and friends I could wish for. I've been so lucky that with them I can combine all my lessons. But this year I've had to make some changes and become more selfish. Particularly on the pace issue - I want slow steady Sunday runs. To help this we've all been able to find our niche and gravitate towards those who want the same things. Which means the Selfies have split into different time slots and groups - which is what has made the group work so well over all this time. It's not a running club. It's simply a place folk can find friends to run with - oh and ideally take a few selfies and have a few laughs along the way. 

Which is of course lesson three - running is my hobby. It keeps me fit. Makes me feel good. Gets me out of the house so the wife can watch Netflix. Even races are part of this - we line up at the start and take selfies. Sometimes we take selfies on route. But I always run with a smile and a jazz hand not far away. Enjoying it is paramount for me. Of course I get enjoyment from a great run - this year the lessons from last year have paid dividends. During a two week cut back period I ran a pleasing 56 minute 10k chatting with Jules all the way round and then last week, knowing I was feeling good, I went for my half marathon personal best. I got it - by nearly 5 minutes and finally broke 2 hours finishing in 1:58:36. 

I even seem to have got my eating under control - shedding a stone since Christmas and hopefully lining up for Brighton trim, rested and happy. Which doesn't mean I'll forget my goal and go for it. I won't. But that doesn't mean I won't have a different goal for Berlin in September. After all if I've learnt all the lessons from last year there should be a few more to stand me in good stead! 

Miles and Milestones

There are 8 weeks until Brighton marathon and 10 until London. Which means I am on week 7 of my post Christmas training plan. The news is good though. It all seems to be going far too well. And why is this? Well it may have something to do with the Sunday Selfie Runners - who are these folk I hear you ask (come on play along)?  Let me tell you all about them....

Once upon a time I hated running. Then as you know I discovered Sweatshop, parkrun and started to enjoy myself a little. Then I started races, getting medals for running and other lovely stuff. Before you knew it I had rather rashly signed up to my double marathon experience (get on with it I hear you cry). So now how to manage training - bring on the Sunday Selfie Runners! My cunning trick to get most other runners I know drag me along to complete the required mileage for Brighton and London. A simple Facebook group, some willing volunteers and a simple bit of mind games so they believe I'm some how helping them to reach their marathon goals! 

We head out every Sunday on a fabulous route mapped on plotaroute.com by our routemaster General. The distance is always set by me based on my training plan (see I'm Machiavelli) and I fool them into thinking it's fun by stopping now and then to take selfies. All the while ensuring I can't bottle out of training because I'm surrounded by people who quite frankly will just nag me till I finish. We all find our own pace and sometimes we lose people on the way round (Ed never seems to go far with us). And some of the men seem to find the energy to race each other at the end of the long runs too! 

It works a treat. So much so that I've passed through some of the tough parts of training - each week becomes a longest ever run - 15 miles, 16 miles, 17 miles - blimey I can crawl to the end of the marathon if I know I can run that far. Today we began a new technique - including races as part of training. Well if you're going to train for a marathon may as well get some bling. So I ran Headcorn Half with my selfie crew. Then to get to 18 miles I did a 5 miler back at home. Another milestone passed. 

Even better 2 weeks ago I hit 50 parkruns a very special milestone and it allowed me to share my views on what I recommend as the ideal way to celebrate 50 runs. If you haven't been to parkrun. Why not? Get there at once. Find your local at www.parkrun.org. So the top 10 essentials to make your 50th run a big hit:

1. Tell everyone you know it's going to be 50 runs on Saturday - social media works wonders and if you're really lucky you may get some cards.

2. Find a red shirt to wear - you get a lovely free red shirt from parkrun for 50 runs so why not pretend you're wearing it on the day.

3. Get a badge, or multiple badges - that way everyone knows today is the day.

4. Arrive early - you want to make sure you're in a good position for the run briefing and to soak up congrats for those who've caught up with social media (see number 1).

5. Be sure you've arranged a cheering squad - make sure all friends are in attendance for the big 50. If it looks like they won't be there then delay that all important run by volunteering.

6. If they call your name - head to the front, go one don't be scared. Everyone just wants to enjoy your moment - you've earned it after all.

7. Make the most of your time at the front - perhaps pause to take a selfie, pose for official photos and hope that some of those also celebrating their 10th, 50th or 100th runs will join you.

8. Do your very best to run a PB - ignore all pleas by the Run Director to be careful of ice and RUN!

9. Don't be upset if you fail to get a PB -  after all you were clearly instructed by the Run Director not to run fast because of ice.

10. See if you can get someone to bring you a cake! You've just run 5k, there is always room for cake so - even if no one is kind enough to bring you a celebration cake - stop in to Dotty's and join us all for a post run debrief and continue the celebration. 

Now you don't have to do all of these but try and do at least one to ensure you really benefit from the 50th run experience. But be warned, certain combinations of these may result in people you don't know thinking you are celebrating a birthday and this may cause some upset if you're nowhere near reaching 50!

The biggest milestone is yet to come - in a couple of weeks I have to run 20 miles. Of course I'm doing it as part of a race (I want a medal for this!) and then a week later? Well a week later I'm going to run 20 miles again! It's another race and apparently as I have to run 2 marathons I may as well practice this back to back running thing. I'm hoping I can persuade some chums to come out with me. Maybe we can take a few selfies? I think we may be the only people who take selfies mid race though.... 

Oh but at least I know when it really isn't appropriate for a selfie as today mid race I passed my biggest milestone of all - and luckily I had some toilet paper.....

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